Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
One year
It has been a year since Rachel first launched the Washoku Warriors on La Fuji Mama, and I'm rather proud to say that with just one exception (when my thesis was due only days later and sleep had been all but eliminated as a luxury), I've participated in every challege. I've enjoyed learning some of the basics of a cuisine that I eat (and cook) on a regular basis, and I've actually loved forcing myself to follow a recipe once in a while.
But the past year has another significance for me, it has been a year since U and I started dating. It is perhaps fitting, therefore, that this most recent challenge was cooked entirely by him. We didn't plan it this way, but one thing (a week in Indonesia) led to another (stomach troubles and a summer cold or perhaps a case of Dengue Fever???) led to another (taking time off work and spending long periods of time in bed) and I didn't have much appetite nor desire to cook. When U asked me what I wanted to eat one night my sore throat and weak stomach wanted nothing more than a plain broth, but I knew I needed something that would give me a bit of energy. I didn't feel like rice gruel, which would be what is eaten when sick in Japan. U seemed wary when I suggested chicken noodle soup and I honestly didn't have the energy to find a good recipe for him to follow, so I started wracking my brains for a Japanese equivalent.
Suddenly it occurred to me that Andoh had a tonjiru (miso-based pork soup with veggies and tofu) recipe that would be both good for my stomach and easy for U to make... and it would satisfy this month's challege too! (That's three birds with a single stone... or rather a big batch of delicious soup!!) So U pulled out Andoh's book and I wrote him a shopping list before I curled up for a nap. When I awoke the apartment was filled with smells that were tempting even my nonexistent tastebuds.
Tonjiru is a soup that appears often in Japan, especially in winter. It appears at just about every Girl Scout camp as it is simple enough to make and yet requires the girls to chop up lots of different veggies and thus feel like they've done something. I've eaten many bowls of tonjiru out of doors, in cold weather, and appreciated the warmth and simple goodness of the soup. Despite the hot summer weather, and despite my lack of appetite, I appreciated the bowl U put in front of me too. I finished it off and curled up for another nap, feeling cared for and loved.
I'd say that's one pretty darn good bowl of soup... although you'll have to trust me on that as my photography skills were rather lacking!
But the past year has another significance for me, it has been a year since U and I started dating. It is perhaps fitting, therefore, that this most recent challenge was cooked entirely by him. We didn't plan it this way, but one thing (a week in Indonesia) led to another (stomach troubles and a summer cold or perhaps a case of Dengue Fever???) led to another (taking time off work and spending long periods of time in bed) and I didn't have much appetite nor desire to cook. When U asked me what I wanted to eat one night my sore throat and weak stomach wanted nothing more than a plain broth, but I knew I needed something that would give me a bit of energy. I didn't feel like rice gruel, which would be what is eaten when sick in Japan. U seemed wary when I suggested chicken noodle soup and I honestly didn't have the energy to find a good recipe for him to follow, so I started wracking my brains for a Japanese equivalent.
Suddenly it occurred to me that Andoh had a tonjiru (miso-based pork soup with veggies and tofu) recipe that would be both good for my stomach and easy for U to make... and it would satisfy this month's challege too! (That's three birds with a single stone... or rather a big batch of delicious soup!!) So U pulled out Andoh's book and I wrote him a shopping list before I curled up for a nap. When I awoke the apartment was filled with smells that were tempting even my nonexistent tastebuds.
Tonjiru is a soup that appears often in Japan, especially in winter. It appears at just about every Girl Scout camp as it is simple enough to make and yet requires the girls to chop up lots of different veggies and thus feel like they've done something. I've eaten many bowls of tonjiru out of doors, in cold weather, and appreciated the warmth and simple goodness of the soup. Despite the hot summer weather, and despite my lack of appetite, I appreciated the bowl U put in front of me too. I finished it off and curled up for another nap, feeling cared for and loved.
I'd say that's one pretty darn good bowl of soup... although you'll have to trust me on that as my photography skills were rather lacking!
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Tadaima
We're home. We got back yesterday and I had a blog post written (complete with a video to upload) in my head. But then a few hours after we got back to my apartment... well... I was struck with a bad case of traveller's tummy. Suffice to say that I was VERY glad my stomach had decided to wait until I was safely home and had easy access to a nice toilet but it did mean I got nothing done yesterday and although things had settled down by morning I was was still so weak that I had to call in sick and take the day off work.
But annnnyways... Indonesia was amazing. Incredible. We had a FABULOUS time. U did better than I would have imagined and LOVED it. He's started dreaming about our next trip together. While I doubt we'll be quitting our jobs to travel the world for months on end any time soon, it is exciting that he's caught the travel bug and I'm looking forward to many many adventures to come.
I will be sharing some photos and stories from Indonesia soon, but for the time being I'll just post this one (rather poor quality) video as I want to go to work tomorrow and feel the need to crawl into bed early. The video is of a mama orangutan and her 2-ish year old baby that we saw wild in the Sumatran jungle... pretty darn cool if I do say so myself!!
But annnnyways... Indonesia was amazing. Incredible. We had a FABULOUS time. U did better than I would have imagined and LOVED it. He's started dreaming about our next trip together. While I doubt we'll be quitting our jobs to travel the world for months on end any time soon, it is exciting that he's caught the travel bug and I'm looking forward to many many adventures to come.
I will be sharing some photos and stories from Indonesia soon, but for the time being I'll just post this one (rather poor quality) video as I want to go to work tomorrow and feel the need to crawl into bed early. The video is of a mama orangutan and her 2-ish year old baby that we saw wild in the Sumatran jungle... pretty darn cool if I do say so myself!!
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Ittekimasu!
We've gotten our shots, our bags are (mostly) packed, and we have to be at Narita early early early in the morning. U and I are off to Indonesia for just over a week - visiting good friends who are there for a year on research. I'm excited and a little nervous, U's nervous and a little excited. Its only his second real overseas trip (a few days in South Korea for a conference don't count as he didn't even leave the conference hotel!), and the last time he went to the Grand Canyon so Indonesia will be.... a little different! We'll be visiting a world heritage site temple complex, hitting up a few museums, but most excitingly going on an overnight jungle hike!
Ittekimasu!!
Ittekimasu!!
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Cooling addiction
My name is Sarah and I am an addict.
It all started last year with one simple purchase at the discount grocery store. It was an impulse purchase - it was hot and muggy out and I was equally hot and sweaty. I would have bought a popsicle if the store had a frozen section but they didn't, so instead I bought a package of freeze-yourself freezies. I couldn't wait until they were fully frozen to try one, and they rest disappeared a few at a time over the next few days - one or two to cool down each time I came home. I tried to cut back, but I found myself addicted to the frozen coloured sugar and unable to stop until the weather cooled down.
This summer I decided I wanted to do something about my addiction, and not just give in to the temptation. But a cool frozen snack is so perfect after having arrived home that I just didn't have the heart to go cold turkey... or rather hot turkey!
After reading la Fuji Mama's post last fall about her yogurt pops, I tried a few variations of my own but was not quite satisfied with the result. Then I read Bakerella's post about the King of Pops and thought.. hey! That sounds DELICIOUS!
I made my first batch with canned mangoes with a bit of my home-made yogurt. They disappeared quickly. Batch two was blueberries with kiwi and while I love the tart/sweet combo I admit it would have been better with more blueberries and less kiwi. My latest batch was peach and tart plum - sweet and a little tart, but lighter than the others. I'm already planning blueberries with raspberries next time, and I want to try the blueberry/kiwi again to improve it... U has requested (VERY STRONGLY) that I make the mango for him next time he's down... And I'd love to figure out someway of using oranges/grapefruit/citrus as frozen mikan are a great summer treat!
Any ideas?
It all started last year with one simple purchase at the discount grocery store. It was an impulse purchase - it was hot and muggy out and I was equally hot and sweaty. I would have bought a popsicle if the store had a frozen section but they didn't, so instead I bought a package of freeze-yourself freezies. I couldn't wait until they were fully frozen to try one, and they rest disappeared a few at a time over the next few days - one or two to cool down each time I came home. I tried to cut back, but I found myself addicted to the frozen coloured sugar and unable to stop until the weather cooled down.
This summer I decided I wanted to do something about my addiction, and not just give in to the temptation. But a cool frozen snack is so perfect after having arrived home that I just didn't have the heart to go cold turkey... or rather hot turkey!
After reading la Fuji Mama's post last fall about her yogurt pops, I tried a few variations of my own but was not quite satisfied with the result. Then I read Bakerella's post about the King of Pops and thought.. hey! That sounds DELICIOUS!
I made my first batch with canned mangoes with a bit of my home-made yogurt. They disappeared quickly. Batch two was blueberries with kiwi and while I love the tart/sweet combo I admit it would have been better with more blueberries and less kiwi. My latest batch was peach and tart plum - sweet and a little tart, but lighter than the others. I'm already planning blueberries with raspberries next time, and I want to try the blueberry/kiwi again to improve it... U has requested (VERY STRONGLY) that I make the mango for him next time he's down... And I'd love to figure out someway of using oranges/grapefruit/citrus as frozen mikan are a great summer treat!
Any ideas?
Puja
When I was in India one of the Canadian girls I lived/worked with had a problem with ants. The Centre's Indian staff decided that what was needed was a puja, a Hindu ritual. The puja was sure to rid the room of ants. The only trouble was that the puja involved leaving an offering in the room for a certain amount of time, an offering of part of a coconut and sugar.
The ants in India could find their way into a sealed plastic container. In the staff room the sugar for our tea was kept in a metal container in the freezer. A pile of sugar on the floor in the middle of the room? The ants found it in no time. And they called their friends, and their friends' friends, and their friends' friends' friends. The room was crawling with more ants than it ever had been.
Judicious use of anti-ant spray and much clean-up later, the room was ant free. It even stayed that way for a significant amount of time - meaning that the Indian staff INSISTED on the efficacy of the puja. Afterall the puja had been performed and now there were no ants, right?
Well I'm wishing I could have them perform a puja in my room. Not an anti-ant puja, mind you, but an anti-roach one. Just about every time I go to the toilet I find an itty bitty roach baby scuttling about (fairly easy to squish and flush but still I'd rather not have to do so every time I need to pee!) and I'm finding the odd bigger (but still not all that big really) one elsewhere - running across the kitchen wall, or scuttling into the shoe rack, or escaping into the folds of the curtain.
Roaches where a problem before I moved in, but besides the odd one last summer, they haven't been a problem since. But this year it seems they've decided to invade. I've laid traps and roach killer all over, and have spray at the ready, but it doesn't seem to be doing any good. Definately time for some divine intervention. I just need to dig out my diyaa and find a fresh coconut...
The ants in India could find their way into a sealed plastic container. In the staff room the sugar for our tea was kept in a metal container in the freezer. A pile of sugar on the floor in the middle of the room? The ants found it in no time. And they called their friends, and their friends' friends, and their friends' friends' friends. The room was crawling with more ants than it ever had been.
Judicious use of anti-ant spray and much clean-up later, the room was ant free. It even stayed that way for a significant amount of time - meaning that the Indian staff INSISTED on the efficacy of the puja. Afterall the puja had been performed and now there were no ants, right?
Well I'm wishing I could have them perform a puja in my room. Not an anti-ant puja, mind you, but an anti-roach one. Just about every time I go to the toilet I find an itty bitty roach baby scuttling about (fairly easy to squish and flush but still I'd rather not have to do so every time I need to pee!) and I'm finding the odd bigger (but still not all that big really) one elsewhere - running across the kitchen wall, or scuttling into the shoe rack, or escaping into the folds of the curtain.
Roaches where a problem before I moved in, but besides the odd one last summer, they haven't been a problem since. But this year it seems they've decided to invade. I've laid traps and roach killer all over, and have spray at the ready, but it doesn't seem to be doing any good. Definately time for some divine intervention. I just need to dig out my diyaa and find a fresh coconut...
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